Southcentral Alaska, including the communities of Anchorage, Valdez, Whittier and Fairbanks, will celebrate Aug. 2-17 with a special itinerary (a round-trip cruise from Valdez through Prince William Sound) and visits to several communities.

Vice President Joe Biden's associates have resumed discussions about a 2016 presidential run after largely shelving such deliberations while his son was sick and dying earlier this year. But Biden has yet to tell his staff whether he will run or personally ask them to do any planning for a potential...